Buddha (nyorai)
Yamagoshi no Nyorai
山越如来
Yamagoshi no Nyorai is a name related to a form of Amida showing the upper body beyond a mountain. In Yamagoshi Amida paintings, accompanied by Kannon, Seishi and others, Amida's welcoming descent (raigō) to receive people into the Pure Land is depicted. It is an image expressing a way in which Amida appears, rather than a separate buddha.
This introduction is based on materials from Shōhōin (Tobi Fudō). It is summarized within the scope of the beliefs and traditions those materials convey, and does not present explanations or customs common to all schools, shrines, and temples.
English pages are the site’s own translations of its Japanese pages. The sources cited are in Japanese. 日本語で読む
Amida appearing from beyond the mountains
Yamagoshi no Nyorai is a name related to a form of Amida showing the upper body beyond a mountain. In Yamagoshi Amida paintings, accompanied by Kannon, Seishi and others, Amida's welcoming descent (raigō) to receive people into the Pure Land is depicted. It is an image expressing a way in which Amida appears, rather than a separate buddha.
Source: 飛不動尊 正宝院・京都国立博物館
The tradition of Genshin and Mount Nijō, and the surviving Buddhist paintings
The Kyoto National Museum introduces a tradition that the paintings began when Genshin perceived Amida on Mount Nijō. On the other hand, it explains that the surviving examples date from the Kamakura period onward, so the period of the tradition is distinguished from that of the paintings that actually remain.
Source: 京都国立博物館
Related kami and buddhas
Sources (in Japanese)
- 飛不動尊 正宝院「仏様の世界：山越如来」（2026-10-14 確認）
- 飛不動尊 正宝院「仏様の世界：目次」（2026-10-14 確認）
- 京都国立博物館「山越阿弥陀図」（2026-10-15 確認）